Pop-corn machine



Match 5, 1929. E LA|RE 1,704,133

POPCORN MACHINE Filed March 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l Eugene J UZa/i/Te March 5, 1929. 'E. J. LE sums POPCORN 9am:

Filed nun-ch 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

fig. 2 gwuenloc Eugem J. LeCI/a/ire March 5, 1929.

E. J. LE CLAIRE POPCORN MACHINE Filed March 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet Fig. 5

June "tot wire Eugene J LeCl Fig. 7

'Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UhliTED STATES PATENT OFFICEy EUGENE J. LE cLAinE, or s'r. P U Mmnnsorra, risers-non @EONE-HALF To crrannns a. MULLAH, or PAUL, Mrnrmso'ra.

ror-conlv MACHINE;

Application filed Marchfi, 1926. Serial No. 91,956 Y My invention relates to popcorn machines wherein it is designedto provide means for popping corn and displaying the sameassocia ted with. the popping mechanism in a convcnient and a compact manner;

Heretoiore popcorn machines have been used quite extensively, yet all 0-1: the structures are more or less ofa complicated nature and of an expensive design, and it is my desire to obviate these features in a popcorn machine and to provide a machine which will pop the corn as it is desired and provide a display cabinet which has a construction designed to provide a very attractive means or: displaying the popcorn for sale and to make the corn crisp and tasty.

A feature of the invention resides in a cabinet adapted to inclosethe popping elements and units when they are not desired for use, thereby concealingthe popping units in a compact cabinet and yet holding the same freely accessible; when they are desired for use.

It is also a feature of the invention to provide a popping kettle which is designed with an oscillating member adapted to be operated either by hand or by a motor so as to continue to oscillate the cornstirring member to thoroughly pop the corn. i

The invention includes a transparent globe storage compartment for the popped corn in which the corn is held and wherein an illuminating means is placed so as to keep the corn warm, makeit more crisp and dry, and cause the illun'iinating means to shine through the popcorn in a manner so as to make a very attractive display for my popcorn machine. This feature of the invention will be readily appreciated in considering that an electric illuminating globe of any suitable color may be used within the storage compartment, thus causing colored light to be reflected onto and through the popped corn, making a very attractive display. 7

It is also a feature of my invention to provide a popping kettle having a very thinand replaceable bottom portion, while the side portions are heavier and adaptedto be wear resisting. v

My popcorn machine includes a hopper having a screen over which the corn must passas it isdispensed out of the storage compartment, and by means of the electric lights which placer. about this hopper, the same kept warm and an illuminationis provided in the lower portionof'the hopper. 'lhis lights up the cabinet-likelower port-ion of'the hopper forming display sides which can "contain advertising matter associated i with the popcorn and through which the illuminating means will shine. The lower pal-tot the hopper 1s replaceable and is forinedlwith a screen so that the unpopped kernels of the corn will freely pass through the same together with any foreign matter, thereby giving'a popcorn of a clean and very desirable nature. Beneath the hopper I provide a drawer adapted to bereadily removable and into which any 'unpopped kernels and foreign matter can be deposited and easily removed from the hopper of my machine. r

It is also a featureof my invention'to provide an opening 1n'the hopper in which the butter container may be placed and below which is positioned one oftheelectric lamps which illuminates thecabinet portion of the hopper. i

These features, together with other objects and particular details of construction of my invention will be more fully and .clearly set forth in the following specification "and claims. I 1n the drawings forming part of my'specification':

Figure 1 is a corn machine.

Figure 2 is a side illustrated in cross section.

Figure 3 is a plan view ofthe same, a perperspective view'of my pop- Figure Tis a detailof a portienof my pop-l attached to corn machine showing the shelf the side of the cabinet. I

iew' of the same partly ln'thedrawings my popcorn machine Ais provided with'a cabinet B which is adapte'dto inciose the popping kettle C, together with en the cabinet B and forming apart thereof, I @IOVlClG astorage compartin t E for the motor operating means D. Positioned popcorn which is a transparent globe-like portion projecting above the base oi the storage compartment E.

The popping unit C of mypopcorn machine A is provided with a kettle having a body portion 11 of a strong substantial nature, ano a removable bottom 12 extending up over the sides and clamped in at 13 to provide a replaceable and very thin-walled bottom portion into which the corn is placed when itis popped.

In close proximity to the bottom 12 l provide an electric heating element 14-, or any other suitable heating element, which is adapted to operate rapidly to heat the popping kettle l0 and pop the corn therein.

Within the bottom portion 12 I provide a central pin 15 which is adapted to engage the lower end 16 of the oscillating member 11'' which projects down into the kettle l0 and projecting from the end 16 I provide stirring arms18. These arms project out radially tt'ronji the end 16 and have an upwardly projecting portion 19 adapted to be positioned in close proximity to theside wall of the bottom of the kettle 10.

The upper end of the member 1? piv otally supported in the cover 20 at 21 and is provided with. a gear 22 which meshes with the driving gear segment 23 which is adapted to be operated by the handle or Suitable stops 25 positioned on either side of the handle 24. limit the oscillating operation of the gear segment 23. This keeps the gear 23 in constant mesh withthe gear 22.

By oscillating the handle ithe arms 18 are adapted to oscillate baclr and, forth in the kettle l0 and thus stir the kernels ofcorn rapidly in a manner so that they will pop very e'l'liciently.

The cover 20 is formed in two parts 26 and. 27 which are hinged together at 2'Sand the cover is adapted to be held by suitable clamps 29 which hold the same lirmly to the body 11 of the popping unit C. The clamps 229 permit the cover to be entirely removed so that the kettle lll may be cleaned out each time after a batch of corn is popped, which keeps the same sweet and clean ande'llicieut in operation. It is desirable that the kettle be cleaned while it is warm, aitterthe batch of popping is complete asit will then wipe out very readily and in this manner providing anetlicient popping unit C.

By means ci th motor driving: means D which positioned within the cabinet B of my popcorn machine A, l: drive a sericsof shafts 30 and 31 in-a manner to reciprocate the arm 32 which may be connected to the free end of the handle 2% in a manner to oscillate the same. T his provides motor means of a suitable nature for oscillating the arms and thereby obviating; the necessity. of op erating the lever 24; by hand.

The popping unit C is mounted upon the the cabinet 40. This holds the door 35 of the cabinet l and the door is provided with an adjustable support 36 which is connected at one side of the same and adjustable so that it can be projected downward to engage against the ground to hold thedoor rigid in open position and against straining or placing an undesirable weight on the body B when the door is open. The cabinet B is carried by the legs 37 on the casters 38 which. permit the same to be mo vcd about freely. By means of the stop and support the cabinet is incl d to be held ri in place against free 11103 0. cut when the door 35 is open. By means of this construction my popping unit C may be held freely accessible when desired for use by openingthe door 35 or when is not desired it may be folded-into the -ompartment 39 of the cabinot 13 fully and completely concealing; tl e, same leaving; the cabinet B of a neat, tidy and attractive nature adapted to support and form a display stand and cabinet for the popped corn.

Upon the cabinet B I provide the display cabinet E which is formed with a lower portion l0 having transparent or wintlow-likc sides through which the electric lights l2 placed within the cabinetare adapted to shine so that by placing: advertising matter on the wixulows ell an at t-ractive display is provided for the base 10 of the popcorn machine A.

Supported to the base 40 I provide the storage or hopper globe l3 which is transparent and is provided with a removable cover ll.

The globe 4-8 is held removable by means ot the rods l5 which are formed with a l connecting; over the toprin 4i? of the globe 48 and are provided with coilsprings 48 on the lower end which hell the clips 4:9 into engagement with the edge 50ot the base oi globe d3 rigidly in place upon the cabinet as I provide two or more of these holding; 1 ads equally spaced about and projecting inside the hopper globe 43.

Projecting upwardly within the globe 43 ll provide an illuminating and heating lamp whicu is covered by the removable shield 53 of a transparent nature so as prevent the popcorn from coming in direct contact with the lamp F This lamp f 2 illuminates the display hopper a3 and the popcorn stored within the same, and when a colored lamp is used a very tllliilllCiilVO display means tor pop corn is provider as it dispenses and projects the colored light to and through liernelsol popped. corn which are somewhat translucent and will. readily al b the color from the lamp so as to provide a v ic in fact an oxdisplay, At the -reniely attntciive popcorn El'lQ time the light heats the hopper 43 suficiently to keep the corn dry and crisp. I have found that the popcorn is much better the second day after it is popped and alter has been on display in my hopper than it is lllil directly after popping. It seemsthat the healfrom the rhsplav lamp 52, together with the illuminating lamps l2 in the cabinet and hopper 1*] Keep the corn crisp and dry and make it very tasty One of the illum to oneside in the base cabinet portion ll) and directly ubrnre this lamp 1 forms recess which is screened and it pon which the butter kettle 5i placed. This keeps the butterlrettlc suilicicnrly n1 4 l; ,ep thebutterin a liquid state so that it may be used as the corn dispensed U i V the cabinet 4-0 is iorn'ied with a ren'iovable her per member having a door 56 which in elines in n manner so as to close the hopper portion he iopper 55 is removable and is of a mnsiirilotion illustrated in Figure Within ti. o hruiperlio l prcrvide a screen lndtom 56 so 1 they rat the .lrernels of corn are taken out of the storage hopper i l and sou id down from the globe storage hopper ell-l are adapted to pass over the s reen Directly below the removable hopper bottom I provide a drawer 58 which is removable and into which the unpopped kernels of corn, together w th any other UHLlGSllftblG material which may be with the popcorn, is adapted to settle. By simply removing the drawer 58 the undesirable kernels and discarded particles which would pass through the screen 57 may be readily removed, keeping the popcorn very presentable and tasty when removed out of the door 56 of the hopper bottom 55. 7

My popcorn machine A is designed to provide a compact attractive means of popping corn by means of the popping unit C which may be entirely inclosed within the cabinet B. it'lter the corn is all popped and sufiicient of it stored in the display hopper 43, it can be dispensed out of thedoor 56 of the hopper botl om and the'corn is sulliciently warmed and dried out by the illuminating means in the base of the cabinet 40, together with the illuminating; lamp 52, so that the corn isvery crisp and tasty when it is taken out of the door 56. The compact, neat and simple design provided in my popcorn machine are 0 a very desirable nature.

it basket F may be placed on the side of the cabinet A and-a shelf G hinged to the side of the same in a manner so that it may be raised in the position illustrated in Figure 3 when it is desired, or dropped down in a position to hang: along the sideof the cabinet ii. The shelf G 15 formed nth depending hraclqet arms 60 Wl1lCl1 are hinged at 'Z'Oto the bottom of the; shelf G, while the shelf proper is hinged at 71 tothe cabinet One of these brackets 61 is positioned on either si of the under art of the shelf so that when the free end 72 of the shelf is engaged and lifted from the side of the cabinet A, the brackets 60 drop into operating position my pope.

removable coverfor said kettle,

i to engaee against the side of the *abinet and operative position. I mating lamps 42 are placed i I in accordance with the patent statutesl have described the principles ofoperation of machine, and while I have shown construction in the dravvinpml u particui do e to have it understood that vthese illustr nsare only snqggcstivc of a n'ieans of car v 51 myiiwention a ithat theinvenlion niiay be carried out an'l applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims.

l clzriin :1

cabinet,

at door for said cabinet, a popping unit mounted on said door, an arm for supporting sari d door in open position to balance said popcorn machine, and motor means for operating said popping vunit to oscillate the kernels of popcorn within the same.

4:. A popcorn machine including, a cabinet, a popping unit supported within said cabinet in a manner to be drawn out when the door of said cabinet is openecha cover for said popping unit, a kerneloscillating leans formed by a 1. A popc n'n., niachinc including, a cabinet depending rod pivotally supported in said cover, radially extending arms formed on the lower end of saidrochand an oscillating lever 9 said cover in a manner to permit corn to be popped by an oscillating movementofseid radial arms.

arm gez'ued to said rod on top or 5'. A popcornmachine including, a porta ble cabinet, a door on said. cabinet,-a popping 'lrettle, removably supported by said door, a hosting element supported beneath said he? an scillatinglrernel stirring'means carried by the coverof said kettle, andlever means for op erating said stirrin g means with in said kettle. i

6. A popcorn machine hle cabinet, a door for said cabineh'a popping kettle supported-removable on said door, a

heath element-associated with s oscillat including, a portaid kettle,

inn; member supported by said cover, an arm adapted to operate said oscillating member automatically by the operation of said motor means.

7. A popcorn machine including, a portable cabinet, :1 popping unit reinovably positioned Within said cabinet in a manner to swing out into operating position when the door of said cabinet is opened, a display hopper formed projectin the upper part of s '1 cabinet haviz'igg a transparent globe portion, means for reinovably supporting; said globe, means for supporting electric 1i ghi's 'ihin he b'lnd hopper and said globe, and means heating the be, keitle by the electric lights within the base of said hopper.

o. A popcorn machine comprising, a portable cabinet, a popping unit Within said cabinet adapted to be held in a compact state when not desired for use, said unit being n'lovable "iilh the door in a manner to be exposed in operative po ion, a beefing element for said unit, and a hand operating iei'er adapted to ope it said unit to pop corn.

9. ii poi-fable popcorn machine including, a cabinet base portion, popping unit sup porte Within said base portion, a door adape o to move the popping unit into operai'ive piviiion, a display cabinet portion profrom said base portion havi'einovable globe, and means niuininming said display cabinet portion and globe Lo direct coiored light on the popcorn on (deploy and iihin'iinate the base of said dispiuy portion for the popcorn.

EUGENE J. LE CLAIRE. 

